Dougie Lampkin – Gas Gas came within touching distance of claiming a top ten finish

FIM SUPERENDURO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

BARCELONA, SPAIN

Dougie Lampkin – Gas Gas came within touching distance of claiming a top ten finish at the third and final round of the 2012 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship held at the famous Palau Sant Jordi stadium in Barcelona, Spain. Having tasted success as a Trial rider in the same arena in the past, Lampkin was hoping for a happy return to this impressive sporting venue that once again welcomed a crowd of over ten thousand people. Making his first competitive outing on an enduro bike in 2012, and since his tenth place at the second round of the series in Poland back in December, Dougie was aware that he was going to have to work hard to get back into the groove.

With last year’s track having proved perhaps too technical and demanding to create close racing, this year the organisers in Barcelona delivered a much faster course that was far better suited to the pure enduro riders. Despite improving his time by nearly three seconds over the two official practice sessions, the thirty-five-year-old veteran campaigner was unable to make any impression on the front-runners and had to settle for tenth spot on both occasions despite his best efforts.

Lampkin’s lack of outright speed served to limit his performance on the night, as the ex multi FIM Trial World Champion failed to record a result in the top ten in any of the three super finals that would ultimately determine the overall positions and the final championship rankings. Fighting every inch of each race, Dougie was eventually disappointed with his two twelfth and one fourteenth place finishes in the trio of main races to leave down in fifteenth spot overall after coming off worst in a three way tie break. Although it was definitely not Lampkin’s night he was only two points off recording a top ten result overall, which confirms the close and fierce nature of the competition he faced.

Ranked twelfth in the final championship standing Dougie had this to say: “There are no excuses tonight, I simply was not fast enough. The track was much easier and open than last year and that certainly didn’t help me. With the way the rounds have been it has been hard for me to get back on the pace after the long break since Poland. My expectations have been realistic over the three rounds, but tonight was a disappointing end to the championship for me.

“Lampkin continued: “My attentions will now switch to putting my preparations in place for Hell’s Gate in two weeks time. I have a good record at this event, and I hope I can continue it this year too and use a good result there to put tonight behind me.

Image by kind permission of Jonty Edmunds